James mcg



(N0 Model.)

J. MGG. MASON.

OAR COUPLING.

N0. 418,954. Patented Jan.'7,1890.

UNHIK IN "MI 2; I um l m 35 220., a

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MCG. MASON, OF NEW GLASGOW, NOVA SGOTIA, CANADA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 418,954, dated. January7, 1890.

Application filed August 24:, 1889. Serial No. 321,807. (No model.)Patented in Canada April 9, 1889.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES MUG. MASON, of New Glasgow, in the Province ofNova Scotia and Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and ImprovedCar-Coupler, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplers, and has for itsobject to provide a means whereby the cars of a train may be uncoupledin a convenient and expeditious manner from the engine or by a brakemanat a point distant from the car to be uncoupled;

and a further object of the invention is to so construct the draw-headand pin that they will be very simple and durable and protected from theweather.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fullyset forth, and pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drawhead attached to a car. Fig. 2is a central vertical section through the draw-head. Fig.

' spectively a perspective and a plan view of different forms of linksemployed in connection with the draw-head.

The draw-head 10 is provided with a linkopening 11, the side and bottomwalls of which are inwardly beveled, which link opening leads to ahorizontal chamber 12 in the drawhead, which chamber is intersected byarect: angular pin opening 13, formed in the top of the draw-head. Thedraw-head is preferably so constructed that the top and bottom outerfaces will incline from the front in the direction of the rear.

Any approved form of draw-bar may be employed in connection with thedraw-head,

and the said draw-bar may be attached to the end of the coupling-pin ismade to conform to the contour of the forward end of its slot. The rearend of the said coupling-pin is angular, whereby a lip 16 is formed,which, by reason of the inclined position of the outer upper face of thedraw-head, extends downward in the chamber 12, as shown in Fig. 2. Thedownward movement of the pin in its slot is limited by providing thesame with a flanged head 17, contacting with the face of the draw-headsurrounding the pin-slot. In this head 17, at the rear end, a link 18 isilltroduced.

Upon the upper forward end of the coupling-pin I preferably attach astrip of spring metal 11, which extends over the forward end of thepin-slot, thereby preventing snow or rain from entering the slot, thesaid springplate also serving to throw the pin downward in its slot whenelevated and released.

The link 19, preferably employed in connection with the draw-head, asillustrated in Figs. 2 and 7, consists of a casting or forging ofgreatest width at itscenter and tapered in direction of its ends, asshown in Figs. 2 and 7, which ends are formed to the shape of a halfarrow-head, as best illustrated at 20 in Fig. 2, both of the heads beingmade to extend upward, and the lower surface of the heads is cylindricalto better facilitate the entrance of the link into the link-opening ofthe draw-head.

In order that the link 19 may be successfully used with an ordinarypin-coupler, the body of the link is provided with a slot 21, extendingthrough from top to bottom and from head to head, as best shown in Fig.7.

In Fig. 6 I have combined the ordinary link 22 with a solid casting orforging 23, having formed at its extremity a half arrow-head 20, 5

draw-head reaches the rear portion of the chamber 12 the pin drops bygravity, and its lip 16 contacts with the outer face of the head, asshown in Fig. 2, whereby the said link is eifectually prevented frombeing drawn outward until the pin is purposely elevated.

By providing the draw-head with the shoulder 14 the major portion of thestrain of the pull is sustained by the said shoulder, and the shock tothe passengers as the train suddenly advances is materially lessened.

The pin 15 is elevated through the medium of an angled lever 24,fulcrumed upon the sill of the car, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, onemember of which lever extends forwardly: over the draw-head through thelink 18 ofthe pin, the extremity being bent over to a hook shape, asshown at in Fig. 1, to insure a positive connection with the pin. Tothis hook a chain, rope, or other device may be attached, leading up tothe roof of the car, whereby the uncoupling may be effected Y from thatpoint;

In uncoupling from the side of the car the operator need simply pressthe member of the lever extending parallel with the sill of the cardownward, whereby the coupling-pin 15 is easily and expeditiouslyelevated. To uncouple from the engine, or to uncouple the last car ofthe train from any of the inter-- mediate cars, I provide the followingdevice, which consists in screwing or otherwise at 'taching to thebottom of the cars near one side a series of eyes 27, as shown in Fig.1,and similar eyes 28 are attached to the top of each sill of the car nearthe side, while a tension device 29 is pivoted beneath the sill, theouter end of which is twisted and extends beyond the sill facing the endof the lever; The device is held normally in this position by means of aspringSO, as illustrated in Fig. 5. v In the handle end of each of theangled levers 24 a recess is made, and into the said recess a spring-key31 is introduced, having one or more rings attached, as illustrated inFigs. 1 and 4. A cord 32,1eading'to the engine, is passed through theseveral eyes 27, through the tension devices 30, and the'eyes 28, andlikewise through the outer ring of each springkey 31. I When it isnecessary for the engineer, for instance, to uncouple the rear car, orfor a brakeman at the forward end of the train, it is accomplished bydrawing upon the cord 32', whereupon the handle end of the lever isdepressed, the coupling-pin elevated, and the link rendered free to bewithdrawn. When the handle end of the lever has assumed downwardinclination, the tension upon the cord withdraws the key 31 therefrom,and the said key, which is at the -end of the cord, is drawn through therings of the last car of the train until it reaches, for instance, theeye attached to the said car at its forward end. To uncouple this car,the cord and key being in the position shown in Fig. 1 and one carhaving been already uncoupled from the train, as aforesaid, the cord orrope is again drawn forward, and the keys are readily drawn from theeyes to be uncoupled through the eyes 28 of the next car to which it iscoupled, and from thence to a contact with the rings of the key in thelever 24, through which the keys at the end of the rope or cord cannotpass. Thus, if the tension upon the rope is continued, the key or keysupon the rope contacting with the key in the lever draws the handle 'endof the lever downward, elevates the coupling-pin, and releases the link,and when the lever-handle has assumed a sufficient downward inclinationthe pin is withdrawn there'- from. 1

In practice the uncoupling-cord may have pieces of leather secured to itwith figures produced thereon, enabling the engineer to ascertain whenhe has drawn the end key through the eyes of the car he desires touncouple, and any form of Windlass may be 10- V cated in the engine-cabto facilitate the manipulation of the cord.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. In a car-coupling, a draw-head provided with alink-opening having a curved rear end and with a pin-slot having apartially concave and perpendicular forward wall, in combination with acoupling-pin having its forward end made to conform to the contour ofthe forward end of the said slotand provided with a slot at said end andwith lip at its rear end extending down into the link-openin g,substantially as herein shown and described.

, 2. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-head provided withthe link-opening 12, having curved rear end, and with the pinslot 13,having a partially concave and perpendicular forward end, of thecoupling-pin 15, having its forward end made to conform tothe contour ofthe forward end of the slot and provided with a curved slot at saidforward end and with the lip 16 at its rear end, and the pivotedangle-lever 24, having one member connected to said pin, substantiallyas herein shown and described.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with a draw-head provided with apivoted coupling-pin, of a pivoted angle-lever having one end connectedto the coupling-pin, a ring detachably secured to the end of the lever,and a rope passing through the ring of the lever, substantially as andfor the purpose specified. 4. In a car-coupler, the combination, with adraw-head provided with a pivoted coupling-pin and an angled leveradapted to be fulcrumed upon the sill of the car, having onememberconnected with the coupling-pin and the other provided with a recess inits neath the car, a spring-key adapted to enter with an attachedspring-key, all adapted to the recess in the end of the said lever,links operate substantially as shown and deattached to the said key, anda rope adapted scribed.

to pass through the tension device beneath JAMES MCG. MASON. 5 the carsof a train and through the links of Witnesses:

the spring-keys of the uncoupling-levers of a JAMES MCARTHUR,

train, which rope is provided at its rear end JOHN L. BRAY.

